FARMER'S GAMBLE: NATURE AND HER MIGHTY POWERS

The approach of Independence Day signals the arrival of the hottest and driest part of the summer, though we anticipate that little worse can happen in the dog days that hasn't happened to date in 1994. Agriculture remains a critical part of the region's economy, and farmers look anxiously to the coming weeks to see if weather will bless their work. After taking a double hit last year, with flooding of the bottom acres and near-drought conditions in the high ground, area farmers could use a break.

Numbers provide some of the most dramatic evidence of last year's dismal agricultural season. In Cape Girardeau County, 20,000 acres of farm land were taken out of use by high water. In Illinois, Alexander County saw 25,000 acres lost to flooding. One farmer who works land behind a levee that failed in 1993 suffered the loss of 80 percent of his crop because of the deluge. This year, he battles sand left behind in the fields where he hopes to recoup his losses.

While conditions are not excruciating yet for the production of a good yield, heat and lack of rain during June have combined to endanger crops at a critical juncture of their development, particularly corn and soybeans. Precipitation for this area usually totals about four inches during June. Prior to rains late last week and over the weekend, less than an inch of precipitation was recorded in these parts. Irrigation has already been employed in some operations where it is available, but this is a costly technique, one that reduces a farmer's capacity for turning a profit. All-important subsoil moisture remains in fairly good shape, says one state agricultural expert, but continued heat and absence of rain will place a burden on this reserve.

Obviously, a newspaper's editorial, no matter how pretentious, provides no insight for (and can claim no influence on) the maker of rain. Like those who have a substantial stake in this industry, we can hope for the best, knowing that nature will take its own unpredictable course and farmers understand the gambling nature of their vocation.